Great Beginnings: or how do you avoid clichés

[rzg6f]

I don't know about you, but I am getting really, really tired of the Regina Imperial Out-processing Station and the "Help Wanted" boards in the Transition Office.

I tend to fall asleep now while I am down on my luck in the local Star-Bar of a dirt-poor planet, waiting on a patron to pop in and offer drunk total strangers 50,000 credits and a starship for that easy job he wants done that no one in his company that he or she knows can do.

And magically being a member of a Free Trader dirt-side with my ship-mates and the expected unexpected happens while we're out carousing.... well, that's been done so many times now, hasn't it?

When I processed out of the military in real life, I know that I had no urges to strike up conversation with the guy processing out next to me and say "hey, wanna get together and go wander the US in search of adventure and fortune?" If there is a bar brawl, I definitely don't want to hook up with whoever brawled alongside of me - I just want to get out of there. And maybe it is just me, but I've never had any job offers or requests for help from a mysterious person (who often says someone is out to get them) at the local Dew Drop In, or the lounge at Dulles for that matter and if I did... well, I'd just smile and then pay my bill.

So why is it that is how most Traveller adventures and campaigns start? Not just home-brew campaigns, but OTU as well. I mean, look at the beginning of Adventure 00; or Research Station Gamma; or The Traveller Adventure. Practically every adventure and/or campaign begins with a variant of one of those three plot devices (and we know most fantasy RPGs use those structures as well.)

Why do I ponder this now? Well, I'm hosting a grill party tomorrow for four new potential player. I just moved to this area and we are all on the same internet rpg player-boards. They mostly play newer games (Shadowrun, Iron Kingdoms, etc.) but I got'em interested in Traveller (and, more importantly, have the rules in German for them as well) and not only will we meet and get to know each other but I want to find out which kind of Sci-Fi interests them most. If it is Alien/Horror (Death Station) and/or Starship Troopers then I can start them off with The Chamax Plague/Hordes, if it is Firefly (which I doubt this being Germany) then there are plenty of trade adventure, if it is exploration I've got a couple of newer but good scout adventures for MGT, if it is ancient civilizations there is always the Sky Raiders trilogy, Canard, and the Shadows/Research Station Gamma/Twilight's Peak trilogy; if it is intrigue... there's all sorts of stuff going on on the Solomani Rim or with the Zhodani; if it's Hammer's Slammers/mercenaries, there is Broadsword and some choice FASA stuff, too.

In other words, I want to use an OTU adventure to get that distinct but elusive Traveller feel (as I'm turning new players onto Traveller and that "feel" is what makes Traveller what is is) but also to start off with an adventure that appeals to the players favorite type of sci-fi.

Personally, I'd like to run FASA's Ordeal by Eschaar but I'll wait to see what interests the players. But even that one starts out down on your luck in a bar with a company patron. ::sigh::

The hardest thing about RPGs and writing in general is the beginning. It is also difficult with traveller because you usually start at the end of your career/training. So the most logical point to start is one of those cliches above.

So back to the main questions and point of this post (yes, I'm fishing for ideas):

• As a player, what are your most memorable, magical and unique campaign/adventure beginnings

• As a referee, what have you done differently or would like to try?

• How should we break away from the standard while keeping it logical and realistic within the constraints of the game and CHARGEN?

I can't wait to see what turns up

 

[whulorigan]

As a general idea, maybe you would want to consider having the group begin the "Travelling" part of their lives as a group on permanent retainer to some patron or organization. It would mean they wouldn't have as much carte-blanche freedom to do anything they want, but it would give the campaign more structure.

Find out what their preferences are, and then create for them a permanent or semi-permanent "Patron" (a noble, a corporation, a mercenary unit, an investigative firm [bounty hunter, detective agency, etc]), and develop their background situation as: "You have just mustered out of your prior careers [in CharGen], and have entered the employment of such-and-such a patron or organization" (or are on retainer to some patron or organization to be called up as necessary). Then, you always have a legitimate patron who has genuine employment assignments (while still allowing for the possibility of side adventures), and you do not need to explain to the group why they have all decided to leave their stable careers (from CharGen) in order to take up a life as a hand-to-mouth vagabond.

 

[Murphy]

The examples you provided are from the ancient era of roleplaying, when the naive concept of "you all meet in a bar" was commonplace. A lot has been done since to address that problem, but old habits die hard. That said, a bunch of old friends could easily form an adventuring group. The beginning of "Grand Tour" campaign from Traveller's Digest isn't exactly the worst example of its time.

There's a lot of ways to bind a group together. I typically have my player characters working for an organization. Sometimes it's a corporation (like in Beltstrike remake), othertimes it's like the AIM from Jagged Alliance, or something else entirely (space rescue service, charity organization, religious movement, noble's retinue, you name it). Or they could be Scouts on detached duty. Or members of a minority group in an unfriendly community (like in Spacedogs). Did I mention Prison Planet?

As for finding adventure opportunities, I make extensive use of Mongoose's "contacts" rules. In real life, I've often had freelance jobs tossed my way via contacts. Of course I'm a database programmer, not a mercenary, but I think the concept would work.

 

[rancke]

If you have, or get, a subscription to JTAS Online and do a search for 'Regina Startown', you'll find a bunch of articles that collectively make up a beginner campaign. We had the PCs meet up by all of them staying at the same boarding house.

Since you are ready to tackle any kind of campaign, you could ask the players to come up with the story of how the PCs all met and became friends/associates, and what their current goal is.


Hans

 

[CosmicGamer]

Another I used to see a lot was the "You all wake up and don't have any memory of who you are."

You covered a bit of issues and before I go too far into it, time is short if you are getting together tomorrow? Presumably it's a meet and greet and there will be some discussion, maybe even some chargen but gaming won't start yet? What are you looking for and how quickly do you need it?

Suggestions for a good existing adventure with a good beginning?
Alternative beginnings for a good existing adventure?
Alternative starts only to springboard from?

What game system? With MgT there are connections during chargen that help with the "I don't know you, why are we suddenly besties?" situation.

The first tip I have is what do many people do when they find themselves between jobs? They go home. To visit. Because they need someplace to stay. Because it is someplace familiar. Ok, so this isn't too adventurous but you are looking for an alternative to the group of spontaneous drunks at the bar saying let's go slay some dragons.

Now you have a group of people who happen to all be from the same town, may or may not have been buddies before going off on their careers but probably at least knew of each other and now they are all back home contemplating what to do next with their lives.

Then they go to the local bar, get drunk and say "Let's go slay some dragons!"

You could even go so far as to say they are all brothers and sisters or cousins who went off their separate ways but they are returning home because a family member died and they all inherited a ship.

Sound of Clapperboard "Action!"

 

[Hemdian]

The technique I've used successfully a number of times is to keep the PCs in service rather than mustered out. One campaign they were the crew of a Gazelle CE, in another they were an Irregular Ops team (aka. The odd job squad) in an Imperial fleet. It doesn't matter if they like each other, they're together because of orders. They are given missions yet only receive ordinary pay, if they need a key piece of equipment it is usually assigned to them, if they gain something fancy in a misson they have to hand it over at the end. Basically, as a areferee you have a lot more control and the whole "why are we together" question is neatly dealt with.

 

[rancke]

The technique I've used successfully a number of times is to keep the PCs in service rather than mustered out. One campaign they were the crew of a Gazelle CE, in another they were an Irregular Ops team (aka. The odd job squad) in an Imperial fleet. It doesn't matter if they like each other, they're together because of orders. They are given missions yet only receive ordinary pay, if they need a key piece of equipment it is usually assigned to them, if they gain something fancy in a misson they have to hand it over at the end. Basically, as a areferee you have a lot more control and the whole "why are we together" question is neatly dealt with.

The problem I have with that approach is that average Traveller characters are not necessarily who you'd handpick for a special tasks team, nor is a team composed of essentially random characters likely to be balanced (though the last bit can be adjusted by adding some non-random NPCs to the team).

I did use it for a very successful campaign where the PCs were troubleshooters for Oberlindes Lines, but I was using GT rules and told the players to design characters that might be picked for a corporate troubleshooter team. Even then, the team wasn't exactly balanced, skill-wise. Player ingenuity compensated a lot for that, but it was sort of belief-straining.

I posted a suggestion for an Mission:Impossible campaign a while back. You'd have three or four core members of the team and for each mission they'd be allowed to pick a couple of NPC teammates out of a labor pool.


Hans

 

[Golan2072]

Another vote for the "you all work for the same patron" approach. Be that the military, a corporation, a crime boss, a noble, or the captain of a free trader. Total strangers? Not exactly. You all went through a hiring process by said patron. Why are you all working together? Ask the corporate HR manager who assigned you all to the same team/the military authorities who assigned you to the same ship. Typically the assignment would be something with very little micromanaging from above - e.g. operating a freighter/patrol-frigate/special-ops-group over interstellar distances, surveying the X area of space and so on. Based on your past record, your employers give you a broad mission and let you fill in the specifics - and want results. You get a lot of discretion about how to achieve the broad goals your employers set you - after all, you are all experienced professionals who should be able to take initiative and think on their own. Of course, said patron might have a certain clout over you (deposits? hostages? blackmail material?) to make sure you follow the very general guidelines.

Usually this won't involve a single mission (this would be too much of a railroad to my taste) but a much broader goal, or several broad goals. Maybe "patrol the Far Rim and eliminate any piracy you encounter while assisting colonists in trouble". Maybe "get us MCrX in profit per fiscal year, we don't care how". No FTL comms mean that micromanagement by HQ would be virtually impossible.

 

[Hemdian]

The problem I have with that approach is that average Traveller characters are not necessarily who you'd handpick for a special tasks team, nor is a team composed of essentially random characters likely to be balanced (though the last bit can be adjusted by adding some non-random NPCs to the team).

Yes, that's true. You do need to influence char gen to a degree. Typically, if I'm running an IN campaign the PCs have to be in the Navy or Marines. If it's a ship crew then primarily Navy, and I decide ahead of time what positions need filling and steer char gen in that general direction. In both cases, I custom design a bunch of NPCs afterwards to fill in any gaps.

Obviously if you are going to influence char gen at all, you need buy-in from the players before you start. But this hasn't been a problem in the groups I've gamed with so far. YMMV.

 

[Meeko100]

Interesting.

I usually just say that the guys all either were friends in the services they were in or were picked up in an effort to get a decent crew for the ship running. Can't run the ship with no pilot or engineer, and a doctor who's willing to work so long as he leaves where he is seems like a fine reason to band together. Why they want to leave is something that rarely gets brought up, but its ysually debts, or certain criminals "disliking" him, or once the guy wanted to leave because his entire family died in a big war, so he felt he had no reason to stay. That was a bit cliche, but it's a reason enough.

Basically, the characters all maintain working passage aboard the loaning PCs ship.

The loaning PC often enough just says that he wanted to get into the spectualative trading business, found out it isn't that profitable and picked up odd jobs on the side to help make up for the high overhead and low profit.

 

[Timerover51]

In canon, according to Library Data, Hotalez et Cie run a very large mercenary bonding and listing board, to which in My non-heretical Traveller Universe, the one where I run some of the Traveller adventures, I also have Lloyd's Interstellar run a listing and jobs wanted service, along with Oberlindes Lines in the Spinward Marches, while the Sword Worlds are always looking for men to recruit.

The Traveller Aid Society, free to members and a small fee of 100 Credits for non-members, runs something like an interstellar version of LinkedIn, where you post your background and then have matches with employers run. This is based on the relatively slow interstellar communications network, but is valuable for near-by worlds. Patrons will check with the Society for potential employees who match their needs.

Then you have the Merchant's Guild Hiring Hall for merchant and scout characters, where again, jobs are listed and resumes posted. The Merchant's Guild Hiring Hall is located at all Class A and B starports, along with Lloyd's Interstellar branches, while the location of TAS offices it up to the Game Master. Local planetary governments are also always shopping for people with needed higher Tech Level skills.

 

[rancke]

Then you have the Merchant's Guild Hiring Hall for merchant and scout characters, where again, jobs are listed and resumes posted. The Merchant's Guild Hiring Hall is located at all Class A and B starports, along with Lloyd's Interstellar branches, while the location of TAS offices it up to the Game Master. Local planetary governments are also always shopping for people with needed higher Tech Level skills.

I have a Spacefarer's Guildhall in Regina Startown with a main lobby with a big bulletin board. I also have a Spacefarers' Society Hostel.


Hans

 

[DickNervous]

I recently started running the Pirates of Drinax adventure for some first time Travellers. Unfortunately it is a small group of only 3, so I had to create some NPC/Patron type characters to back them up and I made them fit in with their backgrounds. Here is how I set it up.

Characters:
Lacey (Pirate) is the protege of one of the more powerful pirate gang leaders (Tamara Anderson) in the Trojan Reach. As part of her "mustering out" process she was sent on a mission that, should she succeed, would result in her getting her own ship to command.

Yossa (Army) is currently a lone gun-for-hire since his retirement. He was on his way to meet a patron about a job. The patron is the best known, and most feared, Bounty Hunter from Deneb to the Reach, Gar Fellis.

Atticus (Scout) had just retired after a long career with the Imperial Scout Service and was on his way to visit family that, last he heard, was still living in the Reach.

The Setup
Lacey and Yossa both just happened to be in a seedy bar at the spaceport in Scaladon (TR2616) when all hell broke loose between two rival gangs. They were taken hostage by the victor, along with about 15 other people, and were shipped off planet to be sold to some Aslan slavers.

Atticus was in Nekrino (TR2515) and was just finishing up to leave when Tamara and Gar (who know each other) approached him to hire his ship. They wanted to go after the people who had kidnapped Lacey and Yossa and the prototype Scout ship Atticus had was just the thing they needed to catch them. They made him an offer he couldn't refuse and before you knew it they were off.

They caught up to the ship that had Lacey and Yossa, boarded it, rescued everyone and left. By this point they were at Blue (TR2421). Gar and Tamara informed the newly created trio of friends that they knew of some employment that could be had from the King of Drinax himself and urged them to go there.

So they did.

I wrote up a little short story about the whole thing. Once I finish polishing it off perhaps I will share it.

 

[rzg6f]

If they end up wanting a scout oriented game, that's probably the way I'll do it. Detached duty makes it easier in this regard

 

[rzg6f]

The examples you provided are from the ancient era of roleplaying, when the naive concept of "you all meet in a bar" was commonplace.

I'm showing my age, huh?

I ran a short game a couple of years ago where I lived before and the MgT charge helped a lot and I will be using MgT for this game. However, one deep relationship between two players was that the Navy petty officer had a bad event and lost his leg. The Army character also had some sort of wound in action, if I recall. I any case, we developed a backstory where the army unit was engaged with an enemy and losing badly. A naval vessel was in the vicinity and reacted to evacuate. The navy character, a small craft pilot, was one of the grav pilots who evacuated the soldiers and while he was on the ramp helping the wounded in the craft while under fire, he took a gauss round that mangled his leg so badly it needed to be amputated (of course the Imperial Veterans Administration took care of the bionic replacement.) The army character pulled him into the craft and the co-pilot took off.

I really like the Mongoose char-gen system, it helps develop backstories like that. But I wanted to see what others do as well for additional unique ideas.

That same game had a player who wanted to play a covert agent of the Imperial Intelligence Service (perfect, because we were beginning Tripwire). So we rolled up the character privately for a couple of terms before hand. Then, when all the players generated their characters together he chose an army career in support where he lasted only one term and also had a bad event making an enemy of his chain of command. So he processed out as a cook or mechanic or something after one term and all the players themselves thought he was an army character. We just tacked on the Army term to his original agent character and threw out the rest. That was great fun when the other players eventually found out he was actually imperial intelligence.

Unfortunately, the same player developed a real life romantic interest and the campaign died. I hope I have better luck with this game but I will stay away from such a railroaded adventure/campaign like Tripwire was.

 

[rzg6f]

I've just recently got a subscription over there. I checked out your article, just briefly and that sounds as if that is an idea with legs. I might do a variant of that, actually.

 

[rzg6f]

actually, it's just meet and greet today. We'll talk about starting a session in two weeks or so, next week is easter, so...

Yes, we're playing Mongoose specifically for the Char-Gen and updated computers, etc. Plus, like Classic, I have a copy of the introduction booklet and the ground rules in German, which makes it easier for my players.

Coming home due to a death or something is an excellent idea, thanks

 

[rzg6f]

That would depend on what type of game the players themselves want. I know that if my wife plays (we're not sure of that yet because of our 2-year-old) she's not big into the military side of things. But we'll see.

I'm a firm believer in letting the players set the atmosphere of the game and assigning them to a naval vessel (or corporation, or...whatever)when one or more of them want's a drifter type of game... well, like I said, we'll see.

 

[rzg6f]

That's all true. I just get the feeling it's been done so often. I'd like to start this game off with a bang, something that the players will remember.

"Hey, remember that time we were playing Traveller and you...."

That's why I'm fishing for unusual starts.

 

[rzg6f]

I hear ya, but as I replied above, I'm trying to see if I can come up with something really unique to start with.

It's their first time with old school hard SF (as opposed to Shadow Run and others.) And one guy is a strict table-top warmer giving it a shot. So I really want to do something unique and memorable.